Ryanair Challenges Royal Air Maroc’s Dominance in Moroccan Airspace

The third airline to operate flights in Morocco, after Royal Air Maroc (RAM) and the Emirati company Air Arabia, Ryanair now serves 12 Moroccan cities for 175 different routes and 1,100 flights per week in high season, and displays its determination to defy its competitors, RAM and Air Arabia Maroc. "For us, competition has always been something positive," breathes Eddie Wilson, the boss of Ryanair DAC, the main company in the Irish group, to La Libre. "It will especially be favorable for the Moroccan traveler, because we intend to offer very attractive prices." Its arrival on the Moroccan market has also forced Air Arabia to review its operational and marketing strategies to maintain its market share.

The Irish low-cost airline is also interested in Moroccans living in Europe. "Our development in Morocco is good news for the large Moroccan community in Belgium, but also in France, Spain or the Netherlands in particular," insists the boss of Ryanair DAC. The Irish low-cost airline now operates 76 weekly flights between Belgium and Morocco. "It’s an important market for us: these immigrant workers come to visit their families and friends in the country," assures Eddie Wilson. And to continue: "It reminds me of the beginnings of our operations in Ireland. The Irish air market has developed in particular thanks to the large diaspora who went to work in the United Kingdom. At first, many of these migrants thought they would never see Ireland again or almost. But in the end, many of them come back to the country almost every weekend thanks to Ryanair. We also see this type of behavior currently in Central and Eastern European countries where the economies are now mature. And I think we’ll see the same thing in Morocco."

Arrived on the market in 2006, with flights from Europe only, Ryanair now has its fourth base in Tangier, in the far north of the country. Last December, the Moroccan government gave the green light to the company to operate domestic flights in the country from the summer.

"We have a long history here in Morocco," declares Eddie Wilson to The Independent.

For its part, Royal Air Maroc continues its expansion in North America. In order to meet the growing demand from Moroccans residing in Canada, the company has announced the opening of a new direct line linking Casablanca to Toronto, starting December 8. This new route will be added to the existing one between Casablanca and Montreal. It intends to expand its Royal Air Maroc (RAM) fleet with the arrival of Dreamliner and A330 NEO aircraft. Its ambition is to exceed 256 aircraft by 2030, the year when Morocco will co-host the World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal. Unlike Ryanair, RAM offers airline tickets whose prices soar. Who between the Irish low-cost airline and the national airline will win the battle for the Moroccan sky?